Los Zetas Cartel Boss Gets Lifetime Prison Sentence in Texas

A top Los Zetas Cartel boss caught hiding near Houston, Texas, was sentenced to two terms of life in prison for his leadership role in the international criminal organization.

At a federal courthouse in Waco, U.S. District Judge Alia Moses sentenced 38-year-old Juan Francisco “Kiko” Trevino Chavez to two life terms in prison, a $2 million fine, and a $2 million money judgment. As Breitbart News reported, Trevino was convicted in July on multiple counts of drug trafficking conspiracy, weapons charges, money laundering, and other conspiracies.

“Trevino … is a leader for a major transnational criminal organization that is responsible for smuggling literally tons of drugs into South Texas,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Shane Folden. “HSI specializes in complex cross-border conspiracy investigations targeting violent and dangerous individuals who threaten or violate the national security if the United States.”

Trevino had been a member of Los Zetas since 2004, operating primarily south of the region between Laredo and Del Rio, Texas. The convicted drug lord is the nephew of captured Los Zetas bosses Miguel Angel “Z40” Treviño Morales and Omar “Z-42” Treviño Morales, the leaders of Los Zetas. During his role as a top operative, prosecutors revealed that Kiko was responsible for moving more than 250,000 kilograms of cocaine (550,000 pounds), hundreds of tons of marijuana, and more than 800 firearms.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon.You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.